Celalettin Simsek

Statistical Analysis of Causes of Death (2005–2010) in Villages of Simav Plain, Turkey, With High Arsenic Levels in Drinking Water Supplies

The purpose of this research was to compare the causes of death in 5 villages situated in Simav Plain, Turkey, during 2005–2010 where different arsenic levels were detected in drinking water supplies. Since groundwater in Simav Plain had arsenic concentrations that ranged between 7.1 and 833.9 ppb, a two-phase research was formulated. In the first phase, public health surveys were conducted with 1,003 villagers to determine the distribution of diseases. In the second phase, verbal autopsy surveys and official death records were used to investigate the causes of death. In total, 402 death cases were found in the study area where cardiovascular system diseases (44%) and cancers (15.2%) were major causes. Cancers of lung (44.3%), prostate (9.8%), colon (9.8%), and stomach (8.2%) were comparably higher in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies. Furthermore, the majority of cases of liver, bladder, and stomach cancers were observed in villages with high arsenic levels.

The Health Risk Associated with Chronic Diseases in Villages with High Arsenic Levels in Drinking Water Supplies

This study is intended to compare and assess the distribution and possible causes of current chronic diseases in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies. It is a cross-sectional epidemiological research that analyzes the frequency and underlying risk factors of chronic diseases in villages with varying levels of arsenic exposure through drinking water. Sample space of study included 1003 individuals, 614 of whom were from villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water and remaining 389 were from two control villages with below-limit arsenic levels in drinking water. While nutritional habits and living environments of two groups were similar, cigarette smoking and alcohol use were higher in villages with low arsenic levels. Mini mental state examination test results in 60+ age group were lower in villages with high arsenic levels. Although no statistically significant differences were detected in chronic disease occurrence between the groups, the number of cases was higher in villages with higher percentage of cigarette smoking and alcohol use. Moreover, cases of lung, colon, and stomach cancers were higher in villages with high arsenic levels in drinking water supplies.

Influence of Climate Change on Shallow Groundwater Resources: The Link Between Precipitation and Groundwater Levels in Alluvial Systems

Alluvial groundwater systems are extremely vulnerable to changes in precipitation amounts as they are typically recharged from above. Thus, any change in precipitation patterns due to climate change is likely to influence such systems first. Dynamic behavior of these systems is clearly seen from large fluctuations in the declining and rising curves of groundwater level time series graphs. An example of such a system is analyzed within the scope of this study that is located in Western Anatolia near Izmir, Turkey. Data collected from 21 monitoring wells were used to assess the long term general trend in the groundwater levels of Torbali-Bayindir plain, an alluvial system near Izmir city. The results demonstrated an average declining pattern of 0.75 m/year in groundwater levels where strong seasonal fluctuations in some wells could reach as high as 30 m. Considering this dynamic behavior, such systems, which are highly dependent on timing, persistence and total amounts of precipitation, are extremely vulnerable to changes in precipitation patterns, particularly in areas where climate change effects are towards increased temperature values and reduced precipitation totals.

Assessment of Three Wastewater Treatment Plants in Turkey

The techniques that involve such comparative assessments are especially convenient for water resources with different quality characteristics. The reuse of the treated effluent of wastewater treatment plants in irrigation is a commonly applied method in semiarid regions such as the Mediterranean where water is a scarce commodity. However, these effluents must be comparatively assessed with other sources of irrigation waters to evaluate the pros and cons of their application particularly in irrigating edible crops.